Marthaville Habitat Management Area

 When we first moved here in 2009, we bought a house in Alvinston (that's another story), and the closest market towns were either Strathroy or Petrolia.  I fell in love with Petrolia and would later move there (minus husband!).  One of the first places I wandered was Marthaville.  It is an area of manmade ponds and a small pine plantation.  I loved it for the botany (amazing Asters and Goldenrods) and insects.  I haven't been there all winter, but I saw that some people had birded here so I thought I'd go and check it out.  I was pleased to see that St. Clair Conservation Authority had did some work to getting rid of the horrible phragmites in there.  There are also non native fish and plants, go figure!  The birding was pretty decent and I got a FOY Eastern Towhee Piplio erthrophthalmus and Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor (flyover) as well I was treated to a Cedar Waxwing Bombycillia cedrorum ! The CEDW were very gregarious and some came close, but as you can see by the photos, a little too close as the bird that came close is pretty backlit.  It was ok though, it gave me a glimmer to my day!



Marthaville after some work on phragmites removal.


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